Disclaimer: I don't own The Heirs.
Title: Queen of the Game
Chapter Count: 1/?
Warning(s): AU!Eun Sang.
Pairing: YoungSang,
Rating: T
Summary: "Don't you know? When you rattle a snake, you're bound to get bit," he told her. "Hard"
Manipulation wasn't something Eun Sang always known, raised by her mother and father to be upright and straight-forward. Of course, that was all before her father passed away and her sister bailed on her and her mother, leaving them with a debt to pay and working to support her choice to leave. To her mother Eun Seok was still that needy little girl who needed her mother, when really she was the poster child of self serving who remembered her family when she needed money.
At first Eun Sang was convinced her sister was a sociopath, but soon understood that Eun Seok was just a great actress. In her own way her sister cared –sociopaths couldn't dredge up emotions even if they tried –it was just that her selfishness and aversion to responsibility was stronger. Eun Sang couldn't deny that she'd felt burdened by her mother sometimes, but remembered her mother could have easily seen her as a burden too when her father died, and abandoned her. It was hard, but nothing in life was easy. Going through hardships only strengthened character and resolve, than when things were easy. Instead of seeing her circumstances as obstacles she viewed them as challenges to be overcome and learned from them for future reference.
Eun Sang may not have been breathtaking beautiful to use her looks to get ahead, but she'd been blessed with sincere features: eyes wide with innocence, a nub of a nose and dimpled chin, which provoked protectiveness when they crumpled up whenever she cried.
She was intelligent –third in class –but, her rank wasn't enough to get her into Jeguk with her best friend Chan Young. He'd passed the entrance exam with flying colors, even gaining a scholarship for his efforts. Eun Sang had missed the mark. It wasn't by much, but close wasn't close enough. This, however, wasn't something one should misunderstand; she was genuinely happy for her friend with no ill will toward him. She'd just seen the opportunity as a step to a better life, but she guessed she would have to work twice as hard. Until she managed to find a way into the school, that is.
Luck shined on her in her before her junior year when she'd discovered the family her mother worked for were owners of the school. Unfortunate for them, they had many secrets that could be exploited. With their careless treatment of her mother, Eun Sang didn't feel all that regretful for using those secrets against them.
The chairman wasn't an easy man to manipulate, any attempt would probably backfire and fall on her mother –she couldn't afford hurting her mother in her plans. Kim Won was another one she'd crossed out from the task, but not entirely from future possibilities. The chairman's wife was also a no-go zone; women, especially intelligent ones, were surprising hard to coerce. In the end, Madam Han was the only one who would get her what she needed.
A subtle threat of using her plan against the Chairman's wife, against her was all it took and Eun Sang was starting at Jeguk High School in the coming year, with a shiny new uniform to boot.
-~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~-
Her first day wasn't all that pleasant with the too high on herself and nosy administrator, feeling the need to belittle her mother's profession. Yes, being a housekeeper wasn't a high flying career, but it was honest work and nothing to be ashamed about.
"Tch, house wife? Are you lying? She's a housekeeper," the administrator sneered, having peeked at the form.
"Yes, she's a housekeeper," Eun Sang confirmed, finishing the word the woman hadn't allowed her to finish. "She's also a mute. Would you like to make fun of that too?" Saying it loud enough and with emotion that the people around would think the woman was bullying her. It of course worked, getting the woman dubious looks from her colleague and a visiting student. At least she had the sense of looking embarrassed as she should.
"Well, finish quickly. I have a lot of work to do and your delaying me," was the woman's attempt to save face, but still exert her power. Aish, she wasn't even as rich as the attitude she was displaying.
The woman of course, couldn't help but revenge by revealing her welfare status. Chan Young had warned her not to reveal it unless she wanted trouble, but the woman had pre-empted the change of course by announcing it.
Her week went to crap.
Of course these gave the rich idiots that were her classmates the rein to look down on her. The boys didn't physically attack her; their bullying was verbally attempting to degrade her. Fighting them back with words would have been the obvious course of action, but Eun Sang learned that standing out would draw attention from the biggest and most vicious bully of them all –Choi Young Do. So, she played the role of the proud welfare student who was bigger than their insults and ignored them all together.
This only provoked the girls to be more vicious. There was defacing her locker, displacing her desk, cornering her in the bathroom to push her around or tripping her in the hallways. It could have ended easily enough if she'd lashed out in the most violent way and showed the pampered princesses just how a poor rat like her handled things, but it was better to continue the docile route. Employing subtle coercion was less work and allowed her to keep her innocent façade.
It helped that one of her bullies had a mother who was friends with Madam Han, and had an explosive secret that would definitely aid her in her plans.
Ye Sol-ah, you shouldn't mess with a snake.
-~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~-
She'd allowed bullying earlier in the day, because it solidified the persona Eun Sang was trying to portray to the student body. However, it was time to re-establish boundaries and her target was walking right in front of her. A quick glance around the hallway ensured there were no witnesses. Eun Sang grabbed the girl by the scuff of her jacket, pulling her into the nearest bathroom.
"Wha –Yah, welfare student, what do you think you're doing? Are you crazy?" Ye Sol demanded when she got her bearings, but Eun Sang ignored her checking the stalls for occupant. "Yah, are you stupid? I'm asking you a question –" The heir demanded again when Eun Sang didn't afford her the attention she wanted, only to cut off when she finally got it. with a looking in her that was beyond devious.
Eun Sang smirked, with a looking in her that was beyond devious, cornering the girl against a wall and getting uncomfortably close to the girl with only a hand on the wall as leverage.
"–I want to come to an agreement; it will a benefit to you too." It was better to start off subtle than go straight for the threat, it gave the person a feeling of actually having a choice when there was really only agreeing or agreeing.
"Tch, and what would I get from a poor rat like you?" Ye Sol spat venomously.
"You're life in this school," Eun Sang revealed. "Housekeepers are not supposed to be seen or heard, but we see and hear everything. Many truths, like yours." It was funny how someone with such a precarious secret had the nerve to look down on her. Ye Sol should count her lucky stars that Eun Sang didn't just detonate her little secrets and was offering her an option. "Your family, they are not spa owners. Your mother is a madam right?"
"T-That's not true," Ye Sol contradicted with no conviction, cowering further into herself than she already had been at Eun Sang's uncomfortable proximity.
The girl wasn't even trying to deny it. Guilt splashed on her face in advertisement of the truth. "I could care less for your truths. However, the others will. They'll forget the poor welfare student and remember the Madam's daughter, just like the vicious snakes they are."
"You won't say anything," Ye sol warned in righteous anger, fisting her jacket in a threat. These brats were really predictable trying to appear like a jungle cats when backed into a corner, when they were just pampered house cats.
Reversal was easy, slapping away her flimsy hold and trapping the girl's hands against a wall. "It depends on you –"
"–No one will believe you!"
"Ah, all I have to do is start a rumor. I don't have to say it in person. Are you sure you can believe in them that much? That they won't turn on you," Eun Sang questioned, her probing queries playing on the girl's insecurities. It wasn't like Ye Sol was secure to begin with; there were no friends in the world of the rich. Acquaintances and strategic partnerships that would be severed should they stop being beneficial and savory. Associating with a madam's daughter was a taboo to avoid –she'd be the pariah by the end of the day.
The defeated entered in the girl's tear filled eyes, "What do you want?"
"To convince your friends to stop harassing me," her ambition in getting into Jeguk was for her education and what doors it would open for her. She didn't want or care to bend over backwards for punks she neither liked nor cared for. "I don't want much. I just want to graduate without problems. Can you help me in this?"
"You're a welfare student. How can I do that?"
"That isn't my problem Ye Sol-ah," cupping the girl's face in false care. She would have felt sorry for her, if she hadn't terrorized her with her group of conceited bitches earlier. But now, Ye Sol was just a means to an end. Sure Eun Sang could have done the deterring herself, and in less than pleasant ways than her current method. Such tactics however, would require too much of her time and she had better things to do with it. "Or should I start singing?"
-~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~-
Everyone who knew him knew Young Do didn't pick on girls so the new female transfer student wasn't on his radar of 'friendly' prospects, even if she was welfare. But, that didn't mean he didn't find her interesting. It was hard to reconcile the spit fire at the bike shop, with the weird sleeping girl at the convenience store and the seemingly docile transfer student that was friends with Yoo Chan Young.
Even then there was something under the surface that didn't quite add up.
This was proven when the girl, after covertly looking for witnesses, hulled Ye Sol into a bathroom. He waited patiently, half hidden behind a wall for them to emerge. His wait wasn't long as Ye Sol came out in tears, unable to notice him through the tears and hysteria as she run past him. Eun Sang came out a few moments later with a raised eyebrow of satisfaction and a smirk that had no business being on such an innocent face.
The confidence and accomplishment in her steps cemented one thing: she was no prey, but a predator who wore sheep's clothing like a second skin. Maybe she could be more interesting than he initially thought. Biting his lip and waiting an appropriate amount of time, he sauntered down the hallway to the cafeteria after her with hands in his trouser pocket.
She would be fun to unravel.
With Joon Young gone everyone was on edge, wondering who his next target would be. To be honest, he hadn't given it much thought, focused on figuring out the president's friend. Now, that he had uncovered her true nature, he was more at ease.
Fixing his plate, he by-passed his usual table where his two lackeys sat and headed straight for Bo Na's and Chan Young's table. He took the seat that was ordinarily Ye Sol, next to his newest toy. As expected the room went silent anticipating the possibility of him choosing his next 'friend'.
"Yah, Choi Young Do, what do you think you're doing? Are you lost?" Bo Na asked a slight apprehensiveness in her tone. From what he'd observed, Eun Sang, annoyed the MEGA Entertainment heir. Yet her heckles were raised at him sitting at their table? Yah, he might have just hit the jackpot
"Wasn't the food obvious? I'm eating with you today, friend," Young Do answered easily. "I should also introduce myself to our new transfer student, right?" turning to the girl who looked at him with what could only be curiosity, before she swiftly schooled her feature into uneasiness. A change that was so swift and minute that he would have missed it if he hadn't been looking for it.
As if on cue, Yoo Chan Young made his presence known like the night in shining armor Young Do expected the president to be. "Choi Young Do –"
"–Transfer student, should we formally meet now," His eyes had remained on the girl, talking over the president because he already knew the reminder of his statement was probably a threat to tread carefully around his new friend. "I'm Choi Young Do," he held out his hand, all under the scrutiny of the table and the entire room.
He could tell she was calculating the consequences of taking his offered hand or rejecting it. The wonderful actress she was made her the picture of wide-eyed innocence that he was sure she didn't possess. But, she was lucky god had given her such an earnest face that took the mask easily and believably. In carefully orchestrated caution and hesitance, she took his offered hand. "Cha Eun Sang," already retracting it before she'd even finished the sentence, but he held on just as securely as he held her gaze for a bated moment. He even added a caress of her knuckles, before letting go all together.
"Eat a lot, Cha Eun Sang," his tone wished in an exaggerated cutesy tone and brilliant smile. He could practically see her cringing internally, even though her façade of wariness held firm on her face. He was really itching to crack her.
"Let's eat," she returned with a raised eyebrow that she didn't bother controlling, along with irritation.
From now on, you're mine until I expose you, Eun Sang.
-~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~-
Author's Note: This will be a multi-chapter story. Eun Sang will be a little different from what we saw in the drama, but it won't be all that dark don't worry.